Enacting measures to expedite COVID-19 support

Today, Government House Leader Jason Nixon laid out government’s plans to address the immediate health needs of Albertans.

“We are living in unprecedented times. The situation around the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating and ever-changing. We need to ensure funding is available for the front-line health-care workers whose presence will be critical in treating Albertans who become seriously ill as we also call on all Albertans to reduce transmission and help flatten the curve of the virus’s progression, to spread those cases and the burden on the health system over a longer time. In addition, we need to be certain that other essential government services are fully funded going forward in order to ensure these services are available to Albertans during this challenging time.”

Today, government will give notice of several motions that will expedite the passing of Budget 2020 Bills 5 and 6 and allow for evening sittings to occur to speed up the progress of these important pieces of legislation. There is a very real chance that the legislative assembly will be forced to adjourn with little notice, given the pandemic. The motion will provide critical funding to keep front-line services operating while also allowing for flexibility in terms of adjourning and recalling the legislature, as needed.

“While we took dramatic action on preventing the spread of COVID-19 over the weekend, it is difficult to know precisely what the virus’s progression will look like in Alberta. These motions will give us the adaptability to ensure our government is able to provide money for care where it is most needed by allowing for an additional $500 million in spending for front-line health-care support.”